A country’s treasury: the "Gemstones of the Urals" hall at the "Journey Across Russia" exposition

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As part of the multimedia display titled "Journey Across Russia", the National Centre RUSSIA presents an exposition dedicated to the natural resources of the Ural Federal District, which is known for its deposits of precious and ornamental stones.

Guests of the display can immerse themselves in the culture and history of the Ural Mountains, including ancient legends related to mining. One of the central images of Ural folklore being showcased at the expo is the Mistress of the Copper Mountain, the mythical keeper of underground treasures. According to legend, she appears to miners in the guise of a beautiful girl or an emerald lizard, patronizes prospectors and dominates the untold mineral wealth. 

The display not only shows the natural diversity of the Urals, but also reveals cultural heritage of the region via interactive formats.

Natural stones are presented in the window of the "Gemstones of the Urals" hall of the expo: rhodonite, uvarovite (green garnet), azurite and malachite, smoky quartz (crystal), blue sodalite, copper ore, chrysotile asbestos in serpentinite, landscape jasper, variegated jasper. 

"Rhodonite, an amazing gemstone for lapidary and ornamental works, has been known since the middle of the 18th century under the name of "orlets" (eagle in Russian). According to an old legend, eagles used to misidentify its fragments for pieces of meat, and brought them to their nests, where they were collected by stone miners. But the best grades of translucent red rhodonite, which resemble rubies in color, were mined at the Orletsovaya Mine, also known as Malosedelnikovskoye deposit, located in the vicinity of Yekaterinburg," said Dmitry Lesnykh, a tour guide at  the National Centre RUSSIA. 

In tsarist times, big items were made from the Ural rhodonite, for example – vases and floor lamps for the halls of the Winter Palace, and the iconostasis of The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. In Soviet times, this stone was used in subway cladding.

At the display dedicated to the Urals, you can also rub a bronze lizard statuette, and make a wish. This hall was built with the active participation of the Ural State Mining University and its museum. 

According to the university, from all gems, only emerald, alexandrite, uvarovite and demantoid have been mined these days. Ornamental stones — jasper and serpentine — have also been mined.

Admission to the "Journey Across Russia" expo is free of charge if you attend as part of tour groups, which are formed by prior registration on the website russia.ru in the "Events" section.